Mindless
by screamqueenie
Summary: Surviving the walkers becomes difficult for Daryl when he teams up with Sadie, an old friend.
1. Intro

Either this was a good idea to come back or it will be one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I guess in a few moments time would tell. I took a deep breath before I extended my hand towards the faded yellow house in front of me. I could scarcely hear the doorbell's jingle over the beating of my heart.

Yea, I know I should have called before I even headed down here, but I wanted my visit to be a surprise. I just hope the trip wasn't for nothing.

I rang the doorbell once more, with no response from inside. I tried the doorknob to find that it was unlocked. Letting myself in the house, I called out, "Is anybody home?"

There was a shuffling noise coming from the second floor. So I walked towards the staircase and leaned across the banister. "It's me, Sadie." I shouted up the stairs. I waited a bit to see if someone would come to greet me. Instead I heard a low grunt.

I slowly made my way up the stairs while listening carefully to where the sound came from. "Are you up here?" I asked to see if I could get some kind of response. Sure enough, a moan boomed from the last door at the end of the hallway.

Now I was really thinking that I should have called ahead of time. Those moaning sounds could be the result of intercourse and I sure in hell didn't want to interrupt anything. Then again, someone could be hurt. My curiosity got the best of me and I tip toed quietly down the hallway. The bedroom door was open just a crack, exposing a revolting scene.

Lying in the middle of the beige carpet was a masculine figure. The clothes the man wore were torn and tarnished with a crimson fluid. His bared flesh was covered in large gashes.

Adrenaline was rushing through my body as I dashed into the room. I kept repeating "Oh my God." as I kneeled down beside the man, placing my fingers on his neck to feel for a pulse. The only thing I felt was cold skin against my hand.

Tears were running down my cheeks for the man in front of me. Maybe if I would have arrived earlier, I could have saved him. But what confused me, was that if he was dead, where was the moaning coming from?

Curiosity was fueling my mind again and I decided to investigate. I stood up and turned towards the door. I stopped in my tracks when I saw a sight even more horrific than what was lying on the ground.

Standing in the doorway was a nasty woman. Her head was resting on her right shoulder due to a massive wound on her neck where muscles and tendons use to reside. All around her mouth was what looked like smeared ruby lipstick, but I knew what it really was.

With the amount of blood that stained the woman's clothes due to her neck injury, it was impossible for her to be alive, let alone standing. Before I could think of any possible conclusion, the woman let out a groan as she lunged towards me. On impulse, I let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Hey, Sadie. It's okay." A male voice tried to soothe me.

I could feel sweat running down my face as I tried to catch my breath. I glanced at my surroundings to only find darkness. The moon cast a faint glow on my companion.

"Did you have that dream again?" He asked as I felt a hand slide up and down my back.

"Yea. It's like one of those walking dead horror movies, but it seems so real." I remembered that I could smell the odor of rotting meat when I got to the top of the staircase.

"That's because it is real Sadie."

That statement hit me like a ton of bricks. Everything wasn't a dream. People were really dead and alive at the same time. "S-so, what are we going to do Trevor?" my voice cracked.

Trevor pulled me into his arms to comfort me, "We'll look for your sisters and pray to God they didn't turn into walkers like your parents."

That horrific thought was burned into my mind just like the scene in the bedroom. I didn't want to lose my sisters too, especially to these monsters.

I wrapped my arms around Trevor, trying not to think of the worst possible scenarios in this awkward predicament we were in. I still couldn't believe all this was happening in the real world.

I was afraid to fall back to sleep. I didn't want to relive any more painful memories, but I knew I needed my energy to find my sisters. Alive, I kept reminding myself.

I closed my eyes, just to get woken up again. Outside the maroon station wagon we called refuge, I could hear murmuring. The sound kept getting closer and closer, making my grip on Trevor become stronger.

"It's my fault." I whispered against Trevor. "They found us because of my screaming."

I braced myself as the car door screeched opened to reveal my fate.


	2. It Can't Be

I held my breath as the car door slowly inched open. I had nothing to protect myself from the monsters other than my black pumps. I quickly reached down and slipped a heel off of my foot. I held onto the shoe for dear life in front of my face, ready to strike when the time came.

Once the car door was completely open, a beam of light flashed inside the station wagon, tracing me with the beam. "Survivors!" I heard a southern accent call out.

"Is it Sophia?" another voice shouted.

"It's a couple!" the southern man answered. He shot the light back in the vehicle, "Are you two alright?"

"Yea," I sighed out loud. I was so relieved to find other living people.

"Hold on." It was yet another man. His voice was huskier than the rest, "Shine the light right there."

The shaft of light hit me full force in the face making me shield my eyes.

"Shit." The husky voice cursed. "It fucking can't be."

"What is it Daryl?" the first man asked.

I heard a murmur, "I know the lady."

I shoved the heel back on my foot and scrambled out of the station wagon. My heart was racing. There was only one Daryl I know and in all this confusion, it could not be him.

The road was littered with abandoned cars. Not a living thing in sight except for three men standing next to a jeep. The moonlight illuminated them, letting me see just a glimpse of what they looked like. Two of the men sported short dark hair and they were carrying guns. The last man was different from the others, holding a crossbow. I could tell from the stance and the unforgettable scowl on his weather-beaten face, that it was who I thought it was.

"Daryl Dixon?" I smiled to myself. If my memory served me correctly, he would be one of the best people to help in this type of situation.

He grunted, "No, its fucking Santa Claus."

That was him all right. A sour man after everything that had happened to him in his early years. I kind of thought he would have changed if I had ever seen him again.

"Well you two can continue your reunion later. We need to get back to the others." The second man who was a little buffer, dictated. "You two come with us. It's safer."

Daryl silently led the way through the maze of scattered cars. We walked a few paces behind as the other two introduced themselves as Rick Grimes, who was clearly the leader, and the other man as Shane Walsh. I then informed them who Trevor and I were.

"So Sadie, what brings you down here again?" Rick asked.

"Well, I was just coming back to visit." I sent a weary smile in Trevor's direction.

I heard Daryl let out a grumble, "Well you picked a hell of a time to visit."

I thought about his comment for a while before I continued, "Right now we're looking for my sisters. I think they might be at the college in Atlanta where my sister Emily attends. At least that's what I hope."

"We can help you look for them, but we have a prior commitment." Rick inquired.

It wasn't that long of a walk from our hiding place to the other group of survivors. "They're back!" I heard yelling as we approached a Winnebago that has seen better days.

A frantic woman with a very short pixie cut, ran out of the Winnebago and right up to us, "Did you find Sophia? Was that her that screamed?"

I shuffled my feet feeling kind of pathetic, "Sorry, that was me. I-I saw something."

I didn't lie. I really saw something in my dream that made me scream, I just didn't want to seem like some sort of crazy person.

"Oh, that's alright." She whispered softly. I could tell the lady was distraught over not finding her daughter. I don't know the story yet, but I'm sure I will soon.

Rick placed a reassuring hand on top of the small woman's shoulder, "Carol, we will find your little girl."

"I know." She gave Rick a little smile before heading back to the Winnebago.

After I knew Carol had entered the Winnebago, I just had to ask, "What happened to her little girl?"

Shane and Rick looked at one another, trying to figure out who would be the one to tell the tale. Shane shrugged his shoulders, urging Rick to speak.

"There was what I guess you could call it a herd of walkers that passed through here. Sophia thought that they were all gone, but when she came out of hiding from under a car, two walkers chased down Sophia."

I gasped in horror. "So she's gone." I tried to word it gently.

"Missing." Rick corrected me. "I rushed after the walkers to make sure they didn't get a hold of her. I told Sophia to stay hidden at the bank of the stream, but once I returned from killing the walkers, she was gone."

I nodded my head in acknowledgement. There was a chance that this little girl named Sophia was still alive somewhere. I know I want to find my sisters, but I would also like to help find Sophia. I can't imagine what she must be going through.. All alone and trying to survive these walkers. "Trevor and I would love to help look for Sophia." I said out loud.

"Yea right." Daryl snorted loudly and walked away.

"All right. We'll start searching again at daybreak." Rick said with a smile from knowing the more people looking, the better the chances are at finding Sophia alive.

After our conversation, Trevor and I were given an extra tent that we set up along side the road. Trevor fell fast asleep while I couldn't even close my eyes. It was a combination of being afraid of dreaming about my parents being walkers again, or it could be from seeing Daryl Dixon again after all these years.

From the few words Daryl spoke to me, it seemed as if he wasn't happy to see me. After growing up being best friends with one another and not seeing each other in years, I thought he would be a little more kind. Then again, this was Daryl I was talking about. It's not like he was going to run up to me and give me a hug or anything.

Then again, it was the middle of the night. Daryl was probably bitchy because he was running on a few hours of sleep. Guess, I'll just talk to him and find out in the morning.


	3. Must Be The End

The morning light came a lot sooner than I would have liked. I only got, at the most, a few minutes of rest. But I could blame my overactive imagination for that.

At first, I didn't want to close my eyes because I knew I would see the decayed faces of my dead parents. On top of that, every noise I heard outside had me in a panic. I knew that someone was out on watch for walkers, but maybe someone had missed one.

With each unknown sound, I would inch closer to Trevor for protection, but he was too busy sleeping to be concerned. He had the physique that looked like he could beat someone to a pulp, but it was more so to attract females. I will admit that that's one reason I was drawn to him. I thought he could guard me from my past. But it would take more than massive muscles to help me forget anything that has happened to me.

On that note, I would start to think about Daryl Dixon. Not only did he possess the skills to protect me in this end of the world scenario we're in, but he was also a big part of the past I was trying to hide from.

With thoughts of Daryl playing in my head, I had finally fallen asleep. Moments later, I was woken up by sunbeams pouring on my face from the open flap of the tent. I rolled myself over onto my side to face Trevor, but he was nowhere to be found.

I would have gone into a frenzy, but I noticed his shoes were gone. I highly doubt if someone or something would have come after him, that would have time to put on his shoes.

I slipped my heels onto my feet and scrambled out of the tent. I placed a hand over my eyes to shield out the sun as I scanned my surroundings. Right next to the Winnebago, was Trevor, along with Rick, Shane and some older man. Trevor sent a reassuring smile my way.

I smiled in return and continued to look around. I really had to empty my bladder, but I needed some privacy. Off to my left, I found a small row of trees not too far from camp. It was just in the right spot. Secluded, yet close enough to people in case I was in any danger and needed some help.

Luckily I got my business done without any problems. I rounded the last tree to head back to camp when I almost ran into a slender woman with chocolate hair and piercing blue eyes. Rays of sun gleamed off of a ring in her nose and several piercings there were adorning her ears. Her one arm was covered with a sleeve of tattoos and in her hand she was carrying a hunting knife.

My eyes widened with recognition and I cursed under my breath.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Slutty Sadie Smith." The familiar voice chuckled. "It's nice to see you again."

I gritted my teeth behind a fake smile, "It's nice to see you too Jess." I even said it in a chipper tone to go along with the charade.

The woman standing in front of me was one of Daryl Dixon's sisters. She was the youngest and the most obnoxious.

"I was being facetious." Jess snarled.

"I'm surprised you even know that word." I retorted

Anger flashed in Jess' eyes as she raised the knife in her hand and took a step towards me, "You calling me stupid?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

I really should have thought before I spoke, but this girl has always had it in for me. Now she was going to get her way.

Jess swung the knife at me, barely missing my face, "I'm going to cut you up and use you for walker bait you skank!"

"What's going on here?" Rick asked as he ran up to the two of us. Behind him were Shane, Trevor, and a blonde who was known by the name Andrea.

"This fucking bitch called me dumb." Jess thrashed at me again with the knife.

I couldn't even run away to save my life. Each step I took in a different direction. Jess, with her long legs, would cut me off.

"That's no reason for you to kill her." Said Rick, using his sheriff duties at the moment to try and coax Jess out of her tirade.

"Oh, that's not the only reason why I'm going to kill the hoe."

Jess was about to take another stab at me, but from another row of trees, Daryl swiftly crept up behind Jess and grabbed a hold of her wrist and slipped the knife out of her hand.

"What the fuck Daryl?" Jess shrieked. "You know as well as I do that she deserves it."

Daryl glanced at me for a brief moment, and then looked back at his sister. "Save your energy to look for some damn food."

With that said, Daryl strode away with Jess hot on his heels, cursing the whole time.

"I told you those Dixons were going to cause trouble." Andrea stated. "Especially after that fiasco with Merle."

That name sent shivers down my spine, but the man himself made me want to scream. He was the one Dixon that I hoped I would never see again. But this seems to be like a big ass reunion already.

Trevor strolled over to my side and comforted me by putting his strong arm around me. As I said before though, his physical strength could not ward off the bad memories.

Rick cleared his throat, "Trevor told us that your sister went to the University of Atlanta. That's not that far from the Crescent Hill Manor where Carol thinks Sophia might be with her cousin. We were thinking we could check out the college before we head over to the hospital."

Behind Rick, Shane was clenching his jaw, making the veins protrude from his neck in anger. His hands were balled into fists at his sides, ready to strike out. I had a feeling he didn't like the plan.

"We should get heading out now. You two can ride with Shane." Rick ordered with a nod and walked back to the vehicles.

Trevor and I trailed a few paces behind Shane, not wanting to get into his warpath. As we reached the road, I saw Daryl standing next to a motorbike with a woman. The girl was quite short, looked a little over five feet. She had long brown hair that was just about as long as she was tall. I watched as she tied her flowing hair into a bun before hopping on the bike after Daryl.

"Who's that with Daryl?" My curiosity got the best of me.

"That's Alexandra, his girlfriend." A tall blonde woman answered me with a quirky smile. She outstretched her hand to me, "And I'm Britta, Shane's girlfriend."

My jaw dropped. It really must be the end of the world. Daryl Dixon was in a relationship.


	4. Feelings

I couldn't help but stare in wonder at Daryl as we made our way to the city of Atlanta. Tanned skin stretched over his exposed arms as he tightly gripped the handles of his motorbike. Situated behind him, was his girlfriend Alexandra, a petite woman clutching his waist with a smile.

People are looking for loved ones while trying to survive from walkers, and this girl is grinning. It's almost as if she's doing it on purpose because she's the one with Daryl. But why should I care. I had someone for myself.

Trevor was in the passenger seat of the vehicle talking to Shane as he drove. Shane still seemed to be aggravated from before by the trees. His knuckles were white as his hands clenched the steering wheel.

Sitting in the back seat with me was Britta, Shane's girlfriend. She was a vibrant and chatty person. "So, how do you know Daryl and Jess?" She asked, making me break my gaze away from the two lovebirds on the motorcycle.

I saw Trevor's head lean back slightly to listen to what I had to say. I had never told him about anybody from my childhood and that included old friends.

I sighed, not knowing how to start, "It was back in Kindergarten. Not many kids liked Daryl. It was for numerous reasons. He wasn't as smart as the others because he was held back a year, he didn't have as nice as clothes as the others because his father drank away all the money and another reason was his brother Merle already had a bad reputation in elementary and nobody wanted to be friends with Daryl and risk getting into some kind of trouble if he would be anything like his brother.

"Anyway, we were outside for recess and Daryl was sitting alone on the merry-go-round using a rock to sharpen a and end of a twig into a point. That day my friend Chelsea was sick and I didn't have anybody to play with and I thought that Daryl would like someone to play with for once. Well I went over to the merry-go-round and started spinning it. Daryl got all pissed and was yelling at me that he was going stab me if I didn't leave him alone. I just kept on spinning it and eventually he was holding onto the bars and laughing his head off because he was having fun.

"After that we were friends. We always hung out when we could and I even became friends with his sisters. But time happened and just like in a lot of friendships, we grew apart."

I turned my head towards my window because I could sense tears coming I didn't want anybody to see. I was crying for two reasons, for the precious parts of my past I could not get back and the reason why I lost touch with my best friend years ago.

"I know how that goes." I heard Britta retort. "I just can't picture Daryl as having friends. And I know I don't know him that well, but I don't see why Alexandra is going out with him. He barely talks to her and spends time with her. If you weren't here right now, she would be riding with us. He just doesn't treat her how my Shaney treats me."

"That's right babe," Shane glimpsed back and shot Britta a smile and a wink. That's the first time I've seen him smile and I can see why Britta was attracted to him.

I looked out the front window again. We were just heading into Atlanta, but I was staring at my old friend rather than the towering buildings. I know part of the reason why Daryl didn't treat Alexandra the way Britta would like to see. He had it rough growing up. He didn't have anybody to care for him or show him love. I tried to the best I could as a friend but I had my own life and my own problems going on at the same time. I guess time didn't help ease the pain of the past for him either.

"Shit!" Shane shrieked as he hit the brakes and we screeched to a halt.

I guess I was too busy thinking about Daryl to notice the big crowd of walkers that were barricading the narrow road that took us straight towards our destination. Daryl rode up alongside the vehicle and Shane rolled down the window. "What should we do? Drive around and find another way?"

"That will take too long. And who knows, there could be walkers on the other streets too." Shane believed, "Just let me take care of this."

"What about Rick?" Daryl nodded in the direction of the vehicle that Rick occupied with Andrea, Glenn, and Jess.

"Just go and tell him your plan and I will do mine. Just make sure you're ready to follow me right away." Shane rolled up his window before Daryl could protest.

As soon as Daryl made his way over to Rick, Shane put his plan into action. He ordered us to put our seatbelts on and to cling to the doors. I put the car in reverse and backed up a few feet.

"Hang on!" Shane yelled and floored the gas pedal.

The vehicle propelled forward, flinging our bodies against the backs of our seats. Approaching the group of walkers; their already battered bodies bounced off the hood of the car, sending severed appendages flying in all directions. I made the mistake of looking out my window and seeing a head hit the road and splatter like a watermelon.

Shane kept driving without knowing if the rest of the group was following in pursuit. He sped down the road until he halted in front of a tattered building. Only fractions of the walls remained standing. There was something familiar about this structure.

My heart sank. If the college looked like this, my sisters would not be here.


End file.
